When John Christopher Westmacott died in 1931 the North Wilts Herald published a lengthy obituary. I visited his grave in Radnor Street Cemetery where I discovered an elegant headstone, which included an inscription dedicated to his wife who died twenty years later. When I saw that his wife included the name Morse in her name I presumed that he had married into the prominent Primitive Methodist Morse family.
Elizabeth Jane Morse Trotman was born in Stratton St. Margaret and her baptism was performed by Charles Morse. Elizabeth was the daughter of Jane Morse Austin who married Cornelius Trotman. Jane was the daughter of Robert Austin and his wife Elizabeth Morse who was the daughter of William and Elizabeth Morse of Purton, but as yet I have been unable to make that all important link with the mighty Morse family (and I bet you’re glad I’ve stopped trying!)*
John Christopher Westmacott married Elizabeth Jane Morse Trotman in 1898. The marriage was registered in the Hungerford area of Berkshire. By 1901 they were living in Kingshill before eventually moving to 133 Goddard Avenue. They had no children.
When Elizabeth died there was no fulsome obituary, just a brief death notice published in The Reading Standard on Friday March 16, 1951.
Westmacott – on March 9, 1951, at Prince of Wales Avenue, Reading, Elisabeth Jane Morse Westmacott, aged 81 years, widow of John Christopher Westmacott, formerly of Swindon, passed peacefully away. – Sadly missed.
Mr J.C. Westmacott
Death of a Swindon Local Preacher
Funeral Tributes
The funeral took place on Friday afternoon of Mr J.C. Westmacott, of 133, Goddard Avenue, Swindon.
Mr Westmacott, who was 60 years of age, was a member of an old Swindon family, and had been in the service of the GWR Company for many years. He was well known in Primitive Methodist circles, having been a local preacher for nearly 40 years. He leaves a widow, and is also survived by his widowed mother, who is now 87 years of age.
The first portion of the service was conducted at the Regent Street Primitive Methodist Church, by the Rev G. S. Hooson (supt. Minister), the Rev F.W. Harper (a former supt. minister at Regent Street Church and now at Wootton Bassett), the Rev. T. Sutcliffe, the Rev. F. Sellers, and Mr G.P. Pickard. Special hymns were sung, and the organist (Mr. A. Barrett) played the “Dead March.”
38 Years as a Preacher
The Rev. G.S. Hooson paid tribute to the good work Mr Westmacott had done as a lay preacher. He had been a faithful and loyal member of the Regent Street church and his chosen sphere of work was preaching. For 38 years he was a lay preacher, and during that period he rendered a true and complete ministry in the Methodist Church.
The interment took place in the Radnor street cemetery.
The family mourners were: Mrs J.C. Westmacott (widow), Mr. and Mrs. C.H. Westmacott, Mr and Mrs J.A. Westmacott (Stroud), Mr Wm. E. Westmacott, Mr and Mrs H.G. Westmacott (brother and sister in law), Miss F.A. Trotman (sister in law), Mr F.T. Trotman (brother in law) Mr H.C. Trotman (brother in law, of Reading), Mr R.R. Trotman (nephew, of Oxford), Miss Freda Parsons (niece), Mrs W.H. Watts, Mrs E. Austin (cousin, Highworth), Mrs T. Austin (cousin), Mr and Mrs Uzzell, Mr and Mrs Pockett, Nurse Booth.
The bearers were Messrs C. Hands, H.T. Budgell, W. Robinson, Gingell, Deaman and M. York (local preachers).
GWR Works Representatives
The representatives of the GWR Works were Messrs. F. Hyde (chief foreman), J. Bond, and B. Thorne (of J. Shop) E. Thomas (retired foreman), J. Summerhayes, R.W. Newport and F. Dennis (of the chair foundry).
Amongst the representatives of the Primitive Methodist Connexion were Messrs. W. Webb, J. Haydon. J.T. Robins, H. Martin, J.P., T. Minchin, W. Bayliss, Wheeler, Uzzell, G.H. Hunt, C.J. Iles, J.P. (Purton) H.J. Franklin, H.J. Hancock, W.T. Harding, and H. Thatcher.
The funeral arrangements were carried out by Messrs. Smith and Son, Gordon road, under the personal supervision of Mr. A.E. Smith.
North Wilts Herald, Friday, January 23, 1931.
*So, I returned to my research and managed to find the connection between Elizabeth Jane Morse Trotman and the prominent Primitive Baptist family by the name of Morse. Elizabeth traces her ancestry back three generations to William and Mary Morse of Purton. These were the parents of Charles Morse, leading figure in the Primitive Methodist Church in Swindon.
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Radnor Street Cemetery 